Google quietly restarts Android 16 Beta with major Desktop Mode fix

Google has started to rollout the Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3.1 update, fixing a major bug that had interrupted the Desktop Mode on Pixel gadgets.

Just the week before, the tech giant had announced Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3, yet, soon afterward, a lot of users had trouble with the installation. It was reported that Google had temporarily put a halt to the release after users com­plained that their devices had gone into bootloops while using Desktop Mode. The discontinuation had left some of the Pixel users waiting for the fixed version.

Now the updated Beta 3.1 has rectified that particular issue and thus the release is back on track. Early testers shared that the installation of the update is smooth and the desktop interface can be accessed without causing any restart loops.

New features introduced in the previous beta included fixes for Play System update failures among others, and certain battery drain issues that were said to be caused by launcher CPU spikes were also resolved. But the Desktop Mode bug made Google to stop the process very unexpectedly.

While Google had not provided any formal communication during the cessation of the process, the company did confirm that the fixed version would be made available "soon." The release of Beta 3.1 now delivers that promise. Pixel users who are part of the Android Beta Program can now access the latest update through over-the-air delivery.

This batch of beta testing is a part of the ongoing process through which Google is gearing up for the big stable Android 16 Quarterly Platform Release (QPR2) that should be rolled out in a few months.